Adding Value to Education through Improved Mental Health - A Review of the Research Evidence on the Effectiveness of Counselling for Children and Young People

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Elsa

The paper examines how U.K. education policies increasingly link positive mental health to children’s learning, achievement, attendance, and behaviour, using this context to evaluate counselling for young people. A systematic review assesses outcome research across cognitive-behavioural, person-centred, psychodynamic, and creative therapies. Findings show all four approaches are effective across counselling issues, though higher-quality evidence is more available for cognitive-behavioural counselling. The review also identifies notable gaps, including school-related issues and self-harm research.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages26

Reading Time1 h 6 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Educational policy and mental health initiatives

Rationale for systematic review

Evidence base and research gaps

Counselling interventions

Adding Value to Education through Improved Mental Health: A Review of the Research Evidence on the Effectiveness of Counselling for Children and Young People Sue Pattison University of Newcastle upon Tyne Belinda Harris University of Nottingham Abstract This paper is set against the backdrop of an increasing number of strategies and policies developed by the Department for Education and Skills in the U.K. regarding the promotion of positive mental health in schools and the recognition of the value of improving mental health in relation to children’s learning, achievement, attendance and behaviour. The aim of the paper is to present the results from a systematic review of the research evidence on counselling children and young people and discuss these results in relation to the educational context and the added value to be gained in addressing the mental health needs of children and young people. A systematic review methodology is used to assess the outcome research literature. The review is structured around a range of counselling issues and four groups of counselling approaches: cognitive-behavioural, person-centred, psychodynamic and creative therapies. Results indicate that all four approaches to counselling are effective for children and young people across the full range of counselling issues. However, more high quality published research evidence was located for the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioural counselling than other approaches, identifying significant gaps in the evidence bases for these approaches. Other gaps in the evidence include research into counselling for school related issues and self-harm . The Australian Educational Researcher, Volume 33, Number 2, August 2006 •97 SUE PATTISON AND BELINDA HARRIS Introduction Counselling and related interventions are aimed at improving the mental health of children and young people. In the educational context they are linked to learning, achievement, attendance and behaviour (DfES 2001, DfES 2003, Ofsted 2004) . The Department for Education and Skills (U.K.) has recognised the importance of mental health in its Healthy Schools initiative (DfES 1999) and has published various resources for teachers and other professionals on its website (DfES 2004a) . The national framework for working together (DfES 2004b) examines and promotes links between schools and CAHMS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Units) in order to improve the mental health of children and young people. The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) publishes resources for teachers and others working in the educational context on its website dedicated to the Counselling in Education group (BACP 2004a) . The BACP also convenes an annual conference specifically related to counselling in education. Moreover, counselling and associated interventions are provided as part of the curriculum for initial teacher training in at least one university department in the U.K. (University of Newcastle upon Tyne 2004a) . Counselling is provided as continuing professional development for teachers and other related professions at the Universities of Nottingham and Newcastle upon Tyne (2004b) . Counselling as an effective intervention for children and young people in the educational context has been given more attention recently as achievement, attendance and behaviour are increasingly linked to mental health. The case for counselling linked to the school context is strengthened by legislation in the form of the new Children Act (DfES 2004d) . The results of a study carried out by the Future Foundation (2004) show that counselling is more acceptable and sought after in contemporary society than in the past. It is against this backdrop of increasing recognition of the value of counselling and other psychotherapeutic interventions that the BACP commissioned their series of systematic reviews. The aim of this paper is to present the results from a systematic review of the research

FAQs

What is the main purpose of the paper?

To synthesize systematic review evidence on the effectiveness of counselling for children and young people and connect the results to the educational context and benefits for addressing mental health needs.

Which counselling approaches are evaluated in the review?

The review assesses four counselling approach groups: cognitive-behavioural, person-centred, psychodynamic, and creative therapies.

What do the review results indicate about effectiveness?

All four counselling approaches are effective for children and young people across the range of counselling issues considered. However, more high-quality published evidence was found for cognitive-behavioural counselling than for the other approaches.

What research gaps are highlighted?

The paper notes significant gaps in evidence for several approaches, and it also identifies limited research on counselling for school-related issues and on self-harm.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Elsa